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Coconut Cream Poke Cake

I’m really thrilled to be sharing this next recipe. First of all, because we made it recently to celebrate my Momma’s birthday. Secondly, because it’s another one of those easy cakes to make but tastes outta-this-world good.

Last year my Mom really wanted some Pea Pickin’ Cake to celebrate her special day. And because she loves those tropical flavors so much, I decided to make her a Coconut Cream Poke Cake this year.

The cake is so moist and has such a great creamy, coconut flavor that I think even folks who are not coconut lovers will fall in love with this one!

Ingredients:

1 box white cake mix

ingredients needed to make cake (egg whites, oil & water)

1 (15 oz.) can cream of coconut

1 (8 oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 (8 oz) package sweetened flaked coconut

The original recipe also called for a small can of sweetened condensed milk. I have since found that it really isn’t necessary in this cake. It is already plenty sweet and creamy with just the cream of coconut, but if you’d like, you can certainly add it to your recipe.

You want to use Cream of Coconut –not coconut milk. Cream of Coconut can usually be found in the alcohol aisle of your grocery store. It tends to be near all the margarita mixes. My local Walmart doesn’t currently carry it but I am able to find it at Kroger. When you open the can, you will need to give it a good stir because the cream part tends to separate from the liquid.

Directions:

Prepare and bake white cake mix according to package directions for a 9×13 pan. Remove cake from oven, and while still hot, poke holes all over the top of cake using a large fork.

Open can of Cream of Coconut (making sure to stir it first) and pour over warm cake.

Make sure you evenly coat the whole cake and spread it around so it will soak in.

Let cake cool completely then frost with whipped topping.

Then top with flaked coconut. If you like you can toast your coconut first but we prefer it untoasted.

Keep cake refrigerated. I think this cake tastes best after it has cooled for at least a couple of hours. It gives it time for the coconut flavors to really soak in.

Enjoy!

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Coconut Cream Poke Cake

Course
Dessert

Cuisine
American

Prep Time10minutes

Cook Time30minutes

Total Time40minutes

Servings9

Calories400kcal

AuthorThe Country Cook

Ingredients

1ozbox white cake mix

ingredients needed to make cake(egg whites, oil & water)

115 ozcan Cream of Coconut

18 ozcontainer frozen whipped toppingthawed

18 ozpackage sweetened flaked coconut

Instructions

Prepare and bake white cake mix according to package directions for a 9 x 13 pan.

Remove cake from oven, and while still hot, poke holes all over the top of cake using a large fork.

Open can of Cream of Coconut (making sure to stir it first) and pour over warm cake.

Evenly coat the whole cake and spread it around so it will soak in.

Let cake cool completely then frost with whipped topping.

Then top with flaked coconut.

Recipe Notes

If you like you can toast your coconut first. Keep cake refrigerated. I think this cake tastes best after it has cooled for at least a couple of hours. It gives it time for the coconut flavors to really soak in.

I am making this today for my Dad's birthday get together later. I can't wait to taste it. Thanks so much for such an easy recipe to follow and I found the cream of coconut in the mixer aisle, I would have never known to look there if you had not told me. Thanks again.

My mom had her own cake business growing up and she had a recipe very similar to this. She would get a can of crushed pineapple and stir the juice of it with the cream of coconut and use the Pineapple on the cake itself. It was a top seller and my personal favorite!

This was always a family favorite this time of the year, especially for Easter. My aunt would always make it. Now I make it. The only difference in my recipe and yours is I mix a can of sweetened condensed milk to the cream of coconut before pouring over the cake. Oh so gooey and rich! Also my recipe calls for the yellow cake mix with the pudding in the mix (which I never can find anymore of I just use the butter recipe cake mix now).

I love Coconut and been wanting to make a Coconut cake..but just haven't done it cause mostly me likes it and not the rest of the family…this looks and sounds great can't wait to make it thank you for sharing it..Janice.

I just found your blog through pinterest. I make a version of this cake and its always a hit. I add coconut milk powder to a can of condensed sweetened milk because I can't find coconut cream. I also add crushed pineapple to my topping – usually real whipped cream. Its so tropical tasting and delicious.

I make this with a devils food mix and poke holes to the bottom with a wooden spoon and mix the cream of coconut with eagle brand and pour it in the holes, refrigerate and then top with cool whip a yummy summer cake!

Hi! Just found your poke cake recipes! Thanks for sharing! Just wanted to let you know that my family has been making a version of the coconut cake for years. It's one of our favorites! For our version we combine a can of Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk with the Coco Lopez. I thought you might want to try it! Thanks again!

I too love coconut. I just discovered your site today and am looking forward to using this recipe. But I was thinking I might use a chocolate cake mix instead. My favorite candy bar is Mounds; dark chocolate & coconut. Also I find it most annoying when I have to mess aroundseparating egg whites from the yoke. Thank you for sharing your delicious sounding recipes.

I made this cake today for my family and it was amazing. The only thing I did differently was used a Duncan Hines Coconut Supreme Cake instead of a white cake. It is taking every once of my willpower not to go back into the kitchen and get another piece right now! My husband and family loved it–and we aren't even likers of coconut. 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!

I've only ever made this with the cream of coconut so I'm really not sure what would be a good substitute. You could maybe make this as a pudding poke cake and use coconut cream pudding. Or maybe you could get some sweetened condensed milk and add some coconut extract to it. 🙂

I made this yesterday morning for a birthday bash for a former neighbor. There were 7 of us neigbhors that helped her celebrate and they all loved it right away. It is such a light cake, absolutely delicious! For those who are having trouble finding Coco Lopez, I found it in the baking section with canned milk. Harris Teeter sells it in 8.5 oz. cans to to make up the 15 oz. I had to open both cans but the second can I only used 6 1/2 oz. of it..Sometimes you will find it in with cocktail mixers..it is thick like sweetened condensed milk. I think out of a 9×13 glass dish, there may be 3 pieces left. I did share two pieces with a neighbor last evening. I'm going to try the oreo poke cake next.

Brought this to a teen bible study group tonight and it was a huge hit! People got seconds, and others tried to, unsuccessfully…disappointed that it was all gone! I too mixed the Cream of Coconut with sweetened condensed milk and thought it was wonderful (though I think it would've been amazing exactly as posted too). Thank you so much for sharing!!!!!

SO happy y'all have had success with this one!! Thank you for taking the time to come back to let me know. I sure do appreciate it!Anonymous – that is a dream of mine to write one. Maybe one day!! You are so sweet! ~Brandie

I can't find the cream of coconut where I live so do you know how this would be with coconut pudding? This sounds so wonderful, maybe I can find a site online for the cream of coconut. Thanks for posting all the yummy recipes 🙂

Ananymous – You'd have to be careful trying to stack it with the "Pokes" in it. It may try to fall apart on you. Oh, but it sounds yummy. Going to the store on my way home to pick up coconut and Lopez. 🙂

If you make instant vanilla pudding (according to the package directions), add 1/2 tsp coconut extract, then mix it in with the cool whip, the frosting is better! Toasting the coconut is also a nice touch.

My cake is in the oven right now. Can't wait to try this cake. It sounds yummy and looks even better. Thanks for all these great recipes that use stuff that I normally have around the house. Nothing fancy, just tastes that way.

I recently made a layer cake very similar to this and found it was delicious! I must add that this recipe was shared with me by a friends mother and to be honest I thought it sounded terrible when she told me what we were going to do….LOL…but I was there to help and this is what we did and it turned out to be awesome! The difference was the following:

Make three 8 or 9" layers, poke holes in all 3.You will need to make a "filling" using a 16 oz tub of sour cream, approx. 2 cups of powdered sugar and a large hand full of flaked coconut. We didn't measure each of these items exactly, we just judged as we went with it to make a good filling consistency with the amount of coconut we thought would be desirable. Starting with the first layer pour the cream of coconut over it lightly and allow to "seep" in. Spread a layer of the "filling" over the cake layer.Follow with the next two layers in the same fashion.Once your cake is assembled and the cream of coconut and filling is applied to each layer frost entire cake with whipped topping and garnish with flaked coconut.

I have made this cake for years, it is one of my favorite cakes of all time, but I use the cream of coconut and also mix a can of sweetened condensed milk with it and pour over the cake then top with the whipped topping and then shredded coconut. It is always a winner when taken to any family event or get together.

I have made this cake many times!! I usually put some coconut into the cake batter before I bake it and then I stir the rest of the coconut into the whipped topping before frosting the cake. It's kind of lumpy looking but keeps the coconut from drying out. If you want, you can sprinkle a little reserved coconut on top so you don't see the lumpy frosting. Once I made a chocolate ganache and spread that over the topping and it tasted exactly like a Mounds bar!! Let the ganache cool some so it doesn't melt the topping though!! Extra yummy and delicious!! 🙂

I make this cake for Christmas every year. I put pineapple juice instead of water in the cake mix and left over fruit from the can on top of the cake before I frost it, and then pecans on top of the frosting. My family insists I make this cake every Christmas. I enjoy reading and trying your recipes. Thank you.

Thanks for sharing, anytime I make a coconut cake I always use coconut milk instead of water in the cake mix, comes out very rich and people wonder what my secret is, but this adds even more richness I will have to try using both and see how that works. Yummmy Thanks again.

I bought vanilla by accident instead of white….is there a big difference and did I mess up?? I just made this cake and waiting for it to cool down so I can add the frosting and coconut. Can't wait to taste this…looks delicious!!

I made this cake for my daughter's birthday, and everyone raved about it. The next day my daughter said again how yummy it was. After reading all reviews, I did add 3/4 of a can of sweetened condensed milk. I think I could have used the whole can as I did not find the cake "overly" sweet. This cake was so easy to make. I made it the day before, then refrigerated it.

I've been making a very similar cake for years and I love it. The only differences: I use coconut milk instead of cream of coconut (not sure how different these are), and I mix sweetened condensed milk with the coconut milk before pouring in the cake.

This really is the Best Recipe Ever! My Grandmomma gave me this as her go to recipe Years ago, & I really thought I had sum kinda family secret recipe til I seen it here, LOL! But I luv ur site & I've Lots N common with u, I live Near P'cola! Born and raised, married a construction man, & traveled about 7 years with him, only to settle back dwn N my home town! LOL. Thanks again!

I am the only one in the house that loves coconut, So i made this cake, cut out enough for 2 -days and put the rest in the freezer in a freezer bowl and covered with wax paper..the cake lasts a good three months, maybe longer..and it actually taste really good partially frozen!!

I have been following you on facebook and trying many of your recipes. When I tell my husband that I'm trying something new, he always asks if it's one of your recipes! You have two new fans. Keep up your great posts, and love your commentary with all the recipes.

Hi Brandie, love the site, but there is something with it that doesn't fully download the page on my computer, its always too wide for my screen so have to scroll sideways, but that's not a big problem, the real problem is that the little download circle on my page continues to circle and doesn't or rarely ever stops, I am not sure what is still being downloaded since nothing seems to be missing from the page, but it must be one of the ads or something, this ties up the computer and makes it so much slower. Also your print button on the printable page doesn't work, it can be clicked, but it simply says its fixing the page for printing and never does print it.

In a pinch, I find coconut cream in my super market baking section! But I have found the best coconut cream at Tropical Traditions.com! I love anything with coconut! I have all ingredients on hand and my kitchen is calling me to make this tonight! Thanks for another great recipe!

Just read aii the recipes on the coconut cream poke cake will make this for our bingo.But just wanted all your reader to know that your reg. gro. store may order the coconut cream if you ask for it mine did I needed it for another baking cake

I used to make this at a little diner that I ran for awhile. I did mix the Coco Lopez with a can of sweetened condensed milk and made it extra moist and toasted some coconut for the top. YUM! Melting your favorite candy bar into the sweentened milk and pouring on top produces a similarly wonderful cake!

This sounds so yummy and easy to make. Going to give it a go today. Problem is that I live in New Zealand and we don't have the frozen whipped topping. What is it please and what could I substitute it with?? Thanks.

I made this cake yesterday for my husbands birthday and everyone loved it, it was very moist and delicious. I have made a variation before with the sweetened condensed milk and it was too sweet. Thank you for letting us know where to find the cream of coconut, I would have never found it! And thanks for the great recipe, definitely making again!

Have you ever made this with a seven-minute egg white frosting? I made something similar before I found out about "poke-cakes" lol, and it was pretty amazing. I find that I like the mellow fluffiness of the egg white frosting a lot more than whipped cream…